Norwegian public holidays and special days — and how they are celebrated

In Norway ten days plus every Sunday are official public holidays (helligdager) under the Holy Days Act: New Year's Day, the four Easter days, Ascension Day, the two days of Pentecost and the two days of Christmas. In addition, 1 and 17 May are statutory days off under a separate law from 1947. Together this gives around 12 "red days" a year, and on most of them shops must stay closed.

What do "red day" and "public holiday" mean?

"Red day" (rød dag) is the everyday word for the days printed in red on the calendar. Most employees are then entitled to paid time off, just like on a Sunday. Legally, two laws govern this:

• The Holy Days Act (Act of 24 February 1995 No. 12) lists the public holidays in § 2: every Sunday, New Year's Day, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Sunday and Whit Monday, and Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
• 1 and 17 May are not mentioned here. They were made days off through a separate law from 1947 on 1 and 17 May as festival days.

How many extra days off you actually get varies from year to year, because some of them fall on a Sunday. In 2026, for example, Easter Sunday, 17 May and Whit Sunday are all Sundays, so there are fewer "extra" days off than in a year when those days fall midweek.

The red days in 2026

Here are the movable and fixed public holidays as they fall in 2026:

The Easter and Pentecost dates move every year because they are calculated from the phases of the moon. Christmas, New Year and the May days, on the other hand, are always on the same date.

The religious holidays: Christmas, Easter, Pentecost

Most Norwegian public holidays have a Christian background, even though many people today mark them without any religious content.

• Christmas: Christmas Day (25 December) and Boxing Day (26 December) are red days. Christmas Eve itself, 24 December, is not a public holiday under the law, but most people have the day off or a short day. Christmas is celebrated with family, gifts, festive food (ribbe, pinnekjøtt or lutefisk) and often a church service.
• Easter: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are all red days. Many people go to their cabin, ski and read crime novels. Together with the weekend before, it becomes a long holiday.
• Pentecost: Whit Sunday and Whit Monday, seven weeks after Easter, mark the Holy Spirit in the Christian faith. Today it is mostly a spring weekend off.
• Ascension Day: a Thursday 40 days after Easter, marking, in the Christian faith, Jesus rising to heaven. Many take the following Friday off and get a long weekend.

An important point for new residents: even though the days have Christian origins, Norway today is a diverse society. You do not have to believe in or take part in anything religious to have these days off — they are days off for all employees, whatever their beliefs. To understand how these traditions connect with the country's history, read more in Norway's history.

National and secular days: New Year, 1 and 17 May

Some red days are not about religion, but about the nation and working life.

• New Year's Day (1 January) marks the new year. It is a public holiday under the law, but the celebration is secular.
• 1 May – Labour Day. An international day for the labour movement, with marches, speeches and banners. It became a day off in Norway in 1947.
• 17 May – Constitution Day. Norway's national day, commemorating the Constitution of 1814. It is celebrated with children's parades, the bunad (national costume), brass bands, ice cream and hot dogs — with no military parade. 17 May is perhaps the day that surprises new residents most: it is very inclusive, and children of all backgrounds march in the parade. To understand what the Constitution means today, see How democracy works in Norway.

Special days that are not red days

Not every important day in the calendar is a day off. Some are flag days or special days without time off:

• Palm Sunday (the Sunday before Easter) is red only because it is a Sunday, not as a public holiday in its own right.
• Sami People's Day, 6 February, has been an official flag day since 2003, but does not give time off from work or school.
• Christmas Eve (24 Dec) and New Year's Eve (31 Dec) are not public holidays. Shops may open, but must close at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

In addition, Norway has several official flag days through the year — such as the King's and Queen's birthdays and Liberation Day on 8 May — when public bodies raise the flag but most people work as usual. A flag day and a red day are therefore not the same thing.

When are the shops closed? The Holy Days Act in practice

The main rule in § 5 of the Holy Days Act is clear: on public holidays, fixed retail outlets that sell goods to consumers must stay closed. This also applies to ordinary Sundays. But there are practical exceptions:

Some additional rules also apply:

• On Christmas Eve, Easter Eve and Whit Eve, ordinary shops must close no later than 4 p.m.
• On the three last Sundays before Christmas, shops may open between 2 and 8 p.m.

So plan your shopping before a red day. A small "Brustad-bua", a petrol station or a shop in a tourist area is often the only option if you need something on that exact day. If you are new to the country, you will find more practical tips in Your first week in Norway.

In short

The public holidays are a mix of Christian heritage (Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, Ascension) and secular national days (New Year, 1 and 17 May). On almost all of them you have the day off and the big shops are closed — so it pays to do your shopping the day before.

Practical for families, work and planning

For families, red days are often more than days off. Kindergartens, schools, after-school programmes, GP offices and many public offices may be closed or have shorter opening hours around holidays. At work, it is common to clarify holiday leave, time off in lieu and shift schedules well in advance, especially around Christmas, Easter and May. Many immigrants are surprised that Norway has several Christian public holidays even though society is otherwise religiously diverse. The explanation is historical: the calendar is based on Christian tradition, workers' rights and national commemorations. For the test, it is useful to distinguish between a red day, a flag day, an ordinary special day and a religious celebration that does not automatically give time off.